Priority: Babies
by JuneLuxray2
Summary: Sequel to Priority: Wedding. A year after her and Kaidan's wedding, Shepard becomes pregnant with twins, and not having a fun pregnancy at all. Barred from combat for nine months, she's in for a long pregnancy. Kaidan/Shepard.
1. The Council

**Mass Effect (c) Bioware**

**Very short first chapter. Sorry.**

The news broke fast. Reporters squabbled and frantically sought any news about the hero's pregnancy, much to Kaidan and Jane's annoyance. In spite of this, Kaidan was extremely excited to be a father, and Shepard wouldn't have minded as much if it didn't involve being pregnant. Or not being able to fight for nine months. The day immediately after, the council summoned Shepard to the human councilor's office for a meeting. No doubt it was about the babies to come.

Kaidan and Shepard went to the meeting, although reluctantly on Shepard's part. When they got to the meeting, the asari councilor spoke first. "Admiral Shepard, you are aware of why we called you here today. We are here to discuss what happens when a Spectre is with child, or children, for you."

Shepard frowned. "My Spectre status isn't being taken away, is it?"

"No! Of course not, Shepard. However, there are certain protocols we follow in this case." the salarian councilor assured her. Kaidan smiled at Jane.

"See, Shep? It wouldn't be so bad."

"It isn't. However, we forbid a Spectre to enter combat during the period of pregnancy. As we have been informed by Councilor Dominic Osoba, human pregnancy lasts nine months on average. We will allow you to go back into combat when a doctor deems you are well enough to do so after you have your kids." the Turian councilor clarified.

"So I'm not going to be a Spectre during it?" Shepard asked worriedly.

"No." Councilor Osoba broke in. "You're still a Spectre. You can go to the Spectre offices and purchase items and authorize certain actions as you see fit. You do everything you would do as a Spectre, just no fighting. We can't endanger you or the two you're carrying."

Although very annoyed, Shepard understood. They did not make armor for pregnant women. They were soon dismissed. It was quiet for awhile, until Shepard passed a food stand with some smell that made her want to throw up. Thankfully, they were near the apartment, so as soon as she made it inside, she rushed for the toilet. Kaidan held her hair again, and as soon as she was done, she glared at him.

"You put them in there."

"...I'm sorry." Kaidan said timidly.

"You better be." his wife snapped irritably. She was in for a long nine months.


	2. Beer Denied

**Mass Effect (c) Bioware**

**I should clarify now that this fic is going to be much shorter than Priority: Wedding. **

Human biotics ate a lot; 4,500 calories a day, to be precise. Pregnant biotics ate even more. With Shepard and Kaidan in one household, a biotic and a pregnant biotic, food went by fast. It was a good thing both Shepard and Kaidan were both high-ranking officers and well-paid. There wasn't a day that went by that didn't require at least one trip to the store. As it turned out, pregnant biotics also had strange cravings; stranger than most pregnant women.

At first the weird food cravings somewhat disturbed Kaidan, but he began to not even care as the pregnancy progressed. Soon enough, Shepard began to show signs of pregnancy. She was forced to swap out her normal uniform that she enjoyed wearing and her black dress for maternity clothes. This greatly irritated her.

The couple slowly but surely fell into a routine of working on the Citadel. Kaidan was used to teaching black-ops teams, but not used to teaching teenage biotics. As it turned out, he loved it. The students liked him, and he fit in well teaching those teenagers and black-ops teams. Now that Jack was a coworker to him, she enjoyed teasing him on a daily basis and asking him how Shepard was. She also enjoyed pulling pranks on him, like putting a cloaked woopie cushion on his chair in his classroom. The teenage students also loved the pranks, much to Kaidan's chagrin.

Shepard found being out of combat difficult for her. She enjoyed directing troops and a fleet, and was exceptional at strategies, but Jane wished she was out there. Sure, she had been promised that now and then she'd be allowed missions to go on after the babies were born. Alas, to her, the pregnancy seemed to last forever.

It soon dawned on them that they had to set up a nursery for the twins. They cleared out the second bedroom on the second floor and slowly but surely worked on it when they had time. They got up a new wallpaper with a baby blue background with images of hot air balloons flying across them.

One evening they planned the baby shower. In spite of the fact usually baby showers only had women, they decided for everyone to come, man or woman. It had been too long since they had had a party in Shepard's apartment, even if this time Shepard couldn't be drinking or dancing very much. The guest list included everyone who had come to Shepard's last party in the apartment plus her and Kaidan's mothers and Chakwas. The date was set, and it wouldn't be for awhile, but it would come.

A few weeks before this date, they invited friends over. Kaidan and Shepard hadn't even bothered with cooking; they just bought pizza. Lots and lots of pizza. Soon the guests arrived cheerfully. Idle talk and laughter was prevalent in the well-lit apartment with amber accents, a cozy and inviting home.

Shepard forlornly stared at a beer cooler left out. She then looked around the kitchen; no one was in there. They had all gone to the bar or the living room, and weren't looking towards the kitchen. She smirked and snuck up to the beers, and was about to reach in when an invisible hand slapped her wrist. She grimaced and hissed, and Kasumi became visible. The master thief clicked her tongue.

"Shepard, you know better than that. Also, you really need to work on your sneaking. I heard you from a mile away." She tossed Shepard a can of soda. "It's cola. Not the same, but I can't let you drink from that."

"But no one would find out! Just one won't hurt..."

"We can _hear_ you, Shepard. Step away from the alcohol." Cortez called. Shepard gave a small whine and retreated to the living room, the can of soda in hand. Kasumi laughed and faded from view again. The pregnant woman sat down in the soft, black recliner. Kaidan, Cortez, James, Javik, and Liara were hanging out in the space as well.

"Up to no good, Shepard?" Kaidan asked, snickering. His wife glared at him.

"It's your fault I can't drink beer."

"Already bickering like an old married couple." Liara mused. Shepard smiled.

"Damn straight."

"Speaking of marriage, Kaidan, why do you still call her by her last name?" James asked. The soldier was fresh from his N7 training, and a new N7 soldier. He donned a casual N7 hoodie as a result. Kaidan shrugged.

"I don't know. I call her either her first or last. Just a habit. You don't seem to mind, Jane." Kaidan remarked. The admiral scoffed.

"No. At least ninety percent of the people I know call me Shepard over my first name. I don't really care. A rose by any other name is still a rose." Shepard finished speaking and used her biotics to grab a slice of pizza from one of the boxes in the kitchen. Her husband's cry of surprise stopped her, and she dropped the pizza back in the box.

"Shepard, Chakwas said to not use biotics while you're pregnant. I'll get it." He got up to plate the food. His wife groaned.

"I can't do anything. It's all because of these little shits." She pointed to her enlarged gut. Javik frowned.

"I do not see the harm. If your children are both biotic, then it won't affect them much."

"That's the problem, Buggy. We don't know if they're biotic yet." James interjected. The prothean gave everyone an exasperated expression.

"You mean you don't even have the technology yet to tell if the babies are biotic?"

"Not yet. Here you go, Shep." Kaidan gave the plate of pepperoni pizza to Shepard, who eagerly began to consume it. Javik stood up from his seat on the couch.

"I shall find this out now." he declared. Liara gasped.

"Protheans can tell if a child will be biotic?"

"Dr. T'Soni, I have lived with you for over a year and you still know so little on protheans." He placed a hand on Shepard's gut and closed his eyes for a minute and then opened then again. "I sense it. Both are beginning to develop the ability. It is small yet, but when they are born, it will be ready."

"I think you're crazy," Shepard snorted, "there's no way you could tell right now."

"And everyone thought it was crazy when you said Reapers for the first time." Liara pointed out. "You never know."

"Pah," Shepard dismissed the claim, "Kaidan, get me more soda."


End file.
